Serious feed problems with a Stevens 200

swift one

New member
My friend just bought a Stevens 200 in 223. finally starting to put it together and when we tried to chamber a round. It would not chamber. The bolt would grab the round and the round consistently hits the face of the chammber. Center left every time. I tried palying wioth the magazine spring and it is not helping. I also noticed when comparing it to other savage and stevens magaines, that the raised portion of the follower is set to the left and not to the right like every other one. It absolutley will only chamber 55gr full metal jacket bullets and nothing hollow point.I also noticed that with different torch settings onthe stock screws, the bullet would load different. This is not like other experiences that I have had with savage and stevens rifles. My steven 200 7mm-08 works like a champ.

I thought about tinkering with it some more, but seeing how not a single round has been through it, I am considering calling Savage and seeing if they will take it back and fix or replace the whole rifle. Any thoughts or ideas?
 
Mine does the same thing if I just lay the round in the ejection port, but if it is actually feeding from the magazine, it works fine.


Chupa
 
When I got my Savage 200 .223 a couple two or three years ago,it would every once in a while do the same thing. I was going to get a single shot adapter anyway. But you might want to check the Lips of the magazine. Have you taken it apart??
 
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I had a Savage 10FP that did the same thing. Tinkered with it, took it to a smith and finally got tired of nothing working and sold it. After 5 years I just had enough.

Wish you luck with it.
 
Well, got off the phone with savage. They told me thaat the 200s in 223 and 204 are not desinged to feed hollow point bullets. I just dont understand that. Two calibers that are great for varmint not designed for HPs? Dont get that. Anyways, I'm returning the 200. Don't need those issues.
 
I don't blame you for returning it. My Savage was a nice rifle but what good is it if you can't depend on it to reliably feed the next round.

After I sold it I bought a Rem 700 and in 3 years never a feeding problem.

To be honest that rifle soured me on Savage. And the 10 fp was meant as an LE rifle. I'd bet more then one police dept was unhappy.
 
My Savage model 12fv in .204 won't feed midway dogtown hollow points...PERIOD. They just hit the shoulder of the barrel and stop. I can single feed them but can not use them otherwise.
 
The 223 axis I have has absolutely no issues feeding a 60gr HP- or any other bullet for that matter. It really disturbs me thet Savage would not want to have such a classic varmint chambering like the 223 to feed HPs reliably in their better made rifles. I really like Savage rifles too.
 
I've had a .223 Stevens 200, ever since they first introduced them, several years ago.

Savage told you they wouldn't feed hollow-points? Bull!!!
I've shot more hollow points from mine over the years, than I have anything else, & never had a problem......UNLESS I was trying to hand load a single round into the chamber.
But that problem has occurred regardless of bullet type or brand of ammo.
If I actually put a single round into the magazine, then chamber it, it works fine every time.
 
My .223 Stevens will feed Sierra 52 g. Matchkings much better then more open hollow points like Speer's TNT's. Some may work better then others...
 
My M11 .243 Savage will not chamber my 85GKHP load if I set it out past 2.560" col. At 2.560" it feeds like an oil slick & is darn accurate. I wanted it to be about .010" of the lands, but that wont happen. Like above would hit the chamber on the left side closing the bolt on it. I just had to play with my seating to figure that one out.
I have had no related issues in any of my other Savage guns (.223/6x45/7mm-08/30-06) with HP bullets.
 
I'm very surprised to hear about all the feeding problems as I thought I was a minority.

My second Savage was a 12VSS in .22-250. Nice gun, stainless, fluted barrel Choate stock, but not cheap. No feed problems but the gun would string shots. I worked with this one for about a year and gave up. Nothing I did made a difference. Sold that one too.

Between these 2 guns I won't own another Savage. Shame really.
 
Quote: Savage told you they wouldn't feed hollow-points? Bull!!!


Brother, I am just telling you what the tech rep told me. I too find it odd as hec that they would let a design inhibit the ability to use such a popular bullet design. Like I said, my Axis 223 will feed 60gr HPs just fine. The gun shop was cool about it though and let him get his money back or have store credit. He decided to walk out of the store with an Axis 22-250. If it is like the other Axis rifles I have worked up loads for, it should be a shooter.

I am a HUGE fan of Savage rifles and it does break my heart a little to hear it from them that they have such a big design flaw in two great varmint/ predator calibers that have a huge following with HP bullets. I wonder if their LE models in 223 have the same problem? The Match bullets that LE uses is really kind of an HP in the sense that the tip of the bullet is open a little. I was seriously considering an M10 FPSR in 223. I think I will pass on that now.
 
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I fed my little Stevens everything from 35g amax to 77g hornady bthp and never had a hitch one. Im thinking it is a series of mishaps not one. I own both Remington's and savages. The only problem I have is keeping bullets on hand to feed them
 
My Savage 10fp (so yes they LE guns have the same problem) would not feed factory Federal 50 gr HP cartridges worth $.02. I even had problems with my 69 gr Sierra handloads. Every once in awhile while pushing the bolt forward the tip of the bullet would just catch the side of the barrel. I never shot any spitzer style bullets in the rifle but I'd put money on them not working either.

Sometimes the gun would feed and other times it wouldn't. I believe every word Swift One said Savage told him. After 5 years of the 10fp I just finally had enough, sold it and bought a Remington.

And I hated to sell that rifle, it was very accurate with 69 gr ammo. But you expect a gun to work as it should, not sometimes.

I can't remember but I don't think mine was a centerfeed.
 
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swift one,

I understand that you were just telling us what you were told.
Hope I didn't offend you, as my "BULL" statement wasn't directed at you. It was directed at Savage.
 
Quote:swift one,

I understand that you were just telling us what you were told.
Hope I didn't offend you, as my "BULL" statement wasn't directed at you. It was directed at Savage.


You didnt. I just wanted to make sure that everyone understood that Savage put that out to me directly. You are good to go sir...
 
My .204 had issues feeding the 35 bergers. I posted my problem and Silverfox set me up with the fairly easy at-home fix of adjusting the feed lips (with pics and instructions). Now the Savage eats hollowpoints like a champ. I'm no gunsmith, so take that for what it's worth.
 


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